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Windsurfing Baby Boomers
By Ian Lane, Western Australia

How many times have you seen some windsurfing dad teaching his kids to windsurf on hacked down gear and an old resurrected board? Every summer you see it at your local spot but it's always one or two kids never lots of them. Getting kids into the sport this way has been happening all over the world for years, and as the sport ages, more kids are being brought in through this channel. However wouldn't it be great if 'bulk' kids could have a go and not just windsurfer's kids?

Well now they can, windsurfing centres everywhere are kitting up with the perfect gear for smaller lighter people to learn and advance on. Smaller boards and rigs mean easier handling quicker success and more enjoyment. Professionally run kids programs mean kids are learning with their peers, encouraging further participation and growth.

This summer is going to see the start of a revolution in windsurfing led by kids, windsurfing all through school holidays with a bunch of mates and having ball at the same time.

Why should you, or anyone, send kids to a professional centre to learn to windsurf? Because as a sport (windsurfing) in the past, had disqualified itself from the main opportunity for the sport to grow.

Normally kids choose what sports they wish to select as their "sports for life" before they are 13 years old.
They get friends that are all interested in that sport and totally get into that sport's atmosphere and social activities.

Imagine you are a 5-15 year old kid, you basically get to try all sports from tennis, inline skating , to boxing, to Nintendo, to snowboarding, to drugs, to soccer and dinghy sailing. The only sport that most kids do not get exposed to before they are 13 is windsurfing.
There are only a few kids who have not already chosen their own sport by 13.

I have seen and heard from many parents who have helped get their kids into windsurfing by chopping up kit to suit them and teaching them by themselves. I think this is a major no-no.

Mike McGrath of Freesail did this and acknowledged that the problem came, not in getting his boy windsurfing, but in getting him a group of mates to go with. Sure his buddies have a go a couple of times in summer, but not dedicated and into it everyday of the holidays and weekends and some afternoons after school.

We need to reach the kids while they are at the peak of learning and before they have already committed to the local soccer team (OK, we can share a few kids with soccer even if Sam Newman doesn't agree!). By reaching them early the likelihood of them picking up the sport of windsurfing increases by at least 10 times, I would even say 20 times.

How do we go about this?

From the industry side we are looking at ways to market the sport through kids' media. Many windsurfing outlets have become involved in providing for this important group of individuals.

Many parents would be allowed by their partners to go windsurfing more often if they brought their kids with them windsurfing.

In the past there have been attempts to market kids boards, but they have failed as they have just been "garbage" Starboard have taken the initiative in this field and are producing the perfect board for lighter people to learn on. It is the first real kiddy board (I think the name is a bit misleading tho as people may think it is for little kids only, Not so!).
Starboard have even decided that they will, for future deliveries, not even print the kiddy name on the board so that the kids feel that this board is the business and not some "baby stuff".

How old can you learn to Windsurf?

Apparently Nevin Sayres son Rasmus attempt ed at 18 months and Bonair rippers do clean flat water forwards at 9 years, so probably 5-6 years is a good time to get started, pretty much at the same time as they start to go to school. Robby Naish won the worlds in Nassau 1976 at 13 years of age and 37 kg heavy. Last week 12 year old Olivier Tom just finished the Formula Worlds at Sylt ,he is 32 kg.

I recommend you seek out a professional windsurfing school, enrol your kids and all your mates' kids in a course of windsurfing. A dedicated centre will provide the correct equipment, a great program and an ongoing coaching program to encourage kids to continue and make it be "their sport".